Rose growers-advice please

[pittypat]

We moved into a house that has two large rosebushes. I know very little about roses. They are small, very pale pink blooms. When they are just beginning to bloom, though, many of the blooms get sort of rusty looking and they die. One of the bushes also has caterpillars on it. I hate using poisons in the yard, but I will if that is the only solution to these two problems. Any advice? Thanks in advance!

 

[CinderellaIam]

Sounds too me that your bushes need a good pruning. If you are unsure of how to prune your roses, google it or get a book from the library. It's very important that you just don't hack away at a rose bush.

To get rid of the catepillars, and most insects you can put plain old dish washing liquid in your hose feeder and thoroughly water your bushes...bugs in general don't like the soap and it is harmless to your roses and other flowers as well. Just be sure that you are watering your bushes at the base, not the leaves or buds (other than the soap cleansing) and you are watering early in the day so that if the leaves and buds to get wet they have time to dry before nighfall and the cool air sets in - this can cause mold.

HTH!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Try this website: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/

I just planted a bunch of Double Knock-Out rose bushes and within 48 hours had problems with them. They were so painful to get into the ground, the last thing I wanted to do was dig them up and start over again!

I got on that website and instantly found out that I was over-watering them. Now, they're already sprouting new growth and look great!

Here is a photo I took of them about a week ago:

 

[CinderellaIam]

Try this website: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/

I just planted a bunch of Double Knock-Out rose bushes and within 48 hours had problems with them. They were so painful to get into the ground, the last thing I wanted to do was dig them up and start over again!

I got on that website and instantly found out that I was over-watering them. Now, they're already sprouting new growth and look great!

Here is a photo I took of them about a week ago:

Roses are VERY tempermental. Yours look great now!!

 

[pittypat]

Thank you! I will certainly take a look at that web-site.

 

[diznygirl]

Some caterpillars like eating rosebuds. There are other insects that will eat them too. There is also a problem with roses called rather descriptively "rust." That's just like a mildew and they recommend watering from the bottom...

Roses are great and really don't need a lot of work once you realize what they like and dislike. Meanwhile, all mine died. I just can't keep them from getting too much water.

 

[Amlee]

It's too late in the year to cut your roses back. It's best to do them in Feb. But what you can do is snap the dead blooms off at the base of the bloom and that will help new blooms come out.

Miracle Grow has a rose plant food and bug killer. You sprinkle it at the base and it should help with the growth, and the bugs. Also soap does work.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Roses are VERY tempermental. Yours look great now!!

Thanks!

These are supposed to be very disease-resistant and hard to kill. Now that I have my unskilled thumb on them... we'll see how hard to kill they really are.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

It's too late in the year to cut your roses back. It's best to do them in Feb. But what you can do is snap the dead blooms off at the base of the bloom and that will help new blooms come out.

Miracle Grow has a rose plant food and bug killer. You sprinkle it at the base and it should help with the growth, and the bugs. Also soap does work.

That was one thing I forgot to mention.

I also spoke to the nursery that I purchased them from (I specifically went to one of the best ones in my area, because I knew roses could be temperamental) and asked them for simple care instructions.

He told me to prune them (the knock-outs, anyway) once the bloom is gone, at a 45 degree angle, in the direction you want new growth. I did that, and also pruned some of the lower interior branches where I'd had issues.

Sure enough, within days, I had new growth. I have the scars on my forearms to prove it too!

 

[RitaZ.]

Here is a photo I took of them about a week ago:

Looks great! The roses and everything else.

I have had roses in the past, but they would get that black fungus on them. Once rose bushes get that disesase, you have to treat the soil. If you don't, any new rose bush that you plant will become infected. After months of frustration, I gave up and got rid of them. I'd like to try planting some again. I do love roses.

On the other hand, my orchids have been beautiful this year. Maybe I'll stick to growing orchids.

 

[Amlee]

When I bought my house 7 years ago, it had about a dozen old rose bushes. So I've had to learn how to take care of them. I pretty much let them be and they do fine on their own. I cut them back in Feb and after each bloom I snap the dead blooms off.

About once the month I'll do the Miracle Grow stuff.

I have had people to knock on the door wanting to know if they could root the bushes. So each year in the Fall, people will come by and root from my roses bushes.

 

[pittypat]

Amlee-we have pretty much the same philosophy about our roses! I did feed them this spring and that helped. I'll try the anti-bug stuff, too. Thanks, everyone!